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MEETING OF JANUARY 19 WITH MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION THE BELL ISLAND FERRY USERS COMMITTEE IS PLEASED TO REPORT ON A VERY SUCCESSFUL AND ENCOURAGING MEETING WITH TRANSPORTATION MINISTER TOM RIDEOUT AND MHA, MINISTER DIANNE WHALEN AT THE WABANA COMPLEX ON JANUARY 19,2004. CHAIRPERSON DAVID BRAZIL AND COMMITTEE EXECUTIVE DR. LAURIE, MAYOR GOSINE, CONSULTANT ED KENT AND CORPORAL MERRILL ATTENDED ON BEHALF OF THE COMMITTEE WITH THE MINISTERS JOINED BY MANAGER BEN HAMMETT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOHN BAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE MINISTERS' EXECUTIVE STAFF. THE COMMITTEE RECEIVED ASSURANCES THAT THE BELL ISLAND FERRY SERVICE IS
VIEWED AS THE ECONOMIC ENGINE TO SUSTAIN BELL ISLAND'S ECONOMY AND AN
AFFORDABLE, EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE SERVICE WAS FUNDAMENTAL TO MAINTAINING
THE GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT OF OVER 600 BELL ISLANDERS. THE KEY ISSUES ADDRESSED WERE: 1. INVESTMENT IN A NEW SWING FERRY: THE MINISTER ADVISED THAT CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW 28 CAR SWING FERRY
CONTINUED TO BE A HIGH PRIORITY FOR GOVERNMENT IN 2004 AND THAT CABINET
WOULD BE ASSESSING AN ACTION PLAN IN THE NEAR FUTURE TOWARDS THE
COMMENCEMENT OF CONSTRUCTION OF A FERRY TO REPLACE THE HAMILTON SOUND.
MINISTER RIDEOUT DESCRIBED THE NEED FOR NEW FERRY INFRASTRUCTURE AS AN
URGENT INFRASTRUCTURE PRIORITY THAT HAD TO BE ADDRESSED AND THAT SUCH A
DIRECTION WAS CONSISTENT WITH GOVERNMENT POLICY. THE COMMITTEE IS QUITE OPTIMISTIC THAT A GREEN LIGHT WILL BE GIVEN BY
GOVERNMENT TO CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW FERRY IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. 2.PRESERVATION OF FERRY SCHEDULE AND THE TWO VESSEL SERVICE: THE COMMITTEE EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING ON A YEAR ROUND
BASIS OF THE CURRENT 2 VESSEL FERRY SERVICE AND THE VALUE OF THIS
INVESTMENT IN THIS SERVICE TO BELL ISLAND'S ECONOMY AND EMPLOYMENT
PROSPECTS FOR OUR PEOPLE. THE MINISTER WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF MAINTAINING THE EXISTING SERVICE
LEVEL AND THE COMMITTEE IS CONFIDENT THAT THE CURRENT SCHEDULE AND 2
VESSEL SERVICE WILL BE MAINTAINED IN 2004
THE COMMITTEE MADE A CASE FOR THE CONTINUED EXTENSION OF THE 2 VESSEL
FERRY SERVICE WHICH CURRENTLY INCLUDES 2 EARLY MORNING TRIPS FROM BELL
ISLAND AT 720 AM AND 820 AM. THE DEMAND FOR MORE VEHICLE CAPACITY IN THE EARLY MORNING WAS SEEN AS
AN URGENT NEED. THE MINISTER RECOGNIZED THE NEED AND AGREED TO REVIEW THE POSSIBILITY
OF THE LONG TERM FUNDING OF THIS SERVICE LEVEL FOLLOWING FURTHER STUDY BY
HIS OFFICIALS. THE MINISTER AGREED ON A TENTATIVE BASIS THAT THE CURRENT EARLY MORNING
TRIPS WOULD CONTINUE TO BE PROVIDED UPON THE RETURN OF THE FLANDERS FROM
REFIT(CONTINUANCE IS SUBJECT TO FURTHER ASSESSMENT OF THE NEED AND FUNDING
AVAILABILITY FOR A LONG TERM EXTENSION.) IF THE SERVICE IS NOT USED THE CASE FOR THE EXTRA TRIPS WILL NE
NULLIFIED. THE COMMITTEE EXPECTS THAT THE SECOND VESSEL SERVICE WILL BE PROVIDED
BY THE BEAUMONT HAMEL FOR A FEW WEEKS WHILE GOVERNMENT PREPARE REFIT PLANS
FOR THE BEAUMONT HAMEL AND THE EARL WINSOR.
MINISTER RIDEOUT ADVISED THAT CAPITAL FUNDS WERE BEING REQUESTED BY HIS
DEPARTMENT IN THE 2004 BUDGET TO ALLOW FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE FINAL
PHASE OF THE BELL ISLAND DOCK REHABILITATION. A FINAL DECISION WOULD BE
DEPENDENT UPON CABINET APPROVAL. OTHER NEWS: THE COMMITTEE WILL BE MAKING A PRE-BUDGET PRESENTATION TO MINISTER OF
FINANCE SULLIVAN'S PRE-BUDGET MEETINGS ON JANUARY 27 OUTLINING THE URGENT
NEED FOR A NEW FERRY, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE YEAR ROUND 2 VESSEL FERRY
SERVICE, THE NEED FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE EARLY MORNING SERVICE AND THE
NEED TO MAINTAIN THE FREEZE ON FERRY RATES TO AFFORDABLE LEVELS. THE COMMITTEE WELCOMES SUPPORT FOR ITS EFFORTS FROM MEMBERS OF THE
GENERAL PUBLIC AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES ED KENT
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